By Jhon Aldrin Casinas
For her second term in office, Mandaluyong City Mayor Carmelita “Menchie” Abalos said she will focus on education and pending development projects in the city.
(MAYOR CARMELITA ABALOS / FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)
“My second term will focus on education and, at the same time, projects na hindi pa natuloy (that are pending its completion),” Abalos told reporters after her oath taking on rainy Saturday morning.
Witnessed by supporters and guests, Abalos took her oath before Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Reyes.
The reelected mayor was accompanied by her husband former Mayor Benhur Abalos and their family.
Her father-in-law, former Commission on Elections and Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr, also graced the oath-taking ceremony of the city officials.
Abalos, one of the few female local chief executives in Metro Manila, said her administration will be founded on the vision of seeing that all children in the city could finish their education.
“Alam naman natin na ang edukasyon, yan ang makakapagpaalis sayo sa kahirapan (We all know that education could uplift you from poverty),” she said.
“‘Yan ang masasabi nating kayamanan ng bawat pamilya, ng ating lungsod kapag lahat ng ating mamamayan ay makapag-aral (That’s what we can consider as the wealth of every family, of our city if all of our citizens are educated),” she added.
Abalos also aims to finish pending infrastructure projects including the road along Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, and the city coliseum, which is set for its ground breaking next week.
“Nakakainip nga eh. Ang dami-dami pang nakaline-up na projects kaya lang, inabot na ng term,” Abalos said, adding that three years is quite short for all the projects she have planned to do in the city.